A MAN who stabbed his ex-partner's friend in a jealous rage has been jailed for more than eight years.

Andrew Robinson, aged 26, stabbed, head butted and threatened to kill the man, after breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home in Cobden Street, on May 14.

Bolton Crown Court heard that Robinson had not taken well to the breakdown of his six month relationship with the woman and, on the night before the attack, had took a drugs overdose in front of her house and was taken to hospital.

However the following day, at around 1.45am, Robinson rang the mother-of-three, and said “he was coming round”.

Concerned, she rang her friend - a soldier - who came to her home.

At around 3am the court heard that Robinson forced through the back door of the woman's house while her and her friend were “cowering” in the bedroom upstairs.

Prosecuting John Kennerley said: “He assaulted the man by head butting him and attempting to bite him, he also struck him on the back of his head with a money box which smashed.”

Robinson then went downstairs and got a kitchen knife while shouting: “I am going to kill you. I am going to cut your eyes and lungs out” to the man, who said in a victim impact statement: “I thought I was going to die”.

He sustained two stab wounds to his right arm and a cut to his head and eyebrow which all required stitches.

The woman sustained only minor injuries while trying to stop the attack.

Defending Ian Metcalfe said: “He [Robinson] has always been a hard worker, friendly, loyal, approachable and always willing to help out, but at the same time he quite plainly is someone with demons.”

The court heard that Robinson, of Ivy Road, Bolton, suffers with anxiety and depression and was in breach of two previous suspended sentences.

Sentencing him to eight years and five months for wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Judge Timothy Stead said:”Your attack upon the man was sustained and repeated and you used three weapons on him, your head, a money box and a knife.

“But you did not take a weapon into the property and the injuries were mercifully modest but still extremely unpleasant.”